Juicing and Intermittent Fasting- The Anti-Aging Super Duo

"We never regret of having eaten too little." Thomas Jefferson

The latest developments in ongoing research into the health benefits of ‘intermittent fasting’ continue to be exciting. This article explains intermittent fasting, reviews the latest research, and explores why juicing is the best way to reap the most benefits from this health-boosting technique.

What is Intermittent Fasting

This is a form of calorie restriction. It is simply the practice of reducing the amount of calories eaten in a day by 30-50% which for an average of 2000-3000 calories per day translates to 1500-2000 calories. Typically this is done once or twice a week on non-consecutive days, and has been found to reap more health benefits than longer fasts.

Most of our aging is due to damage caused by our body’s process of converting food into energy. Thus, reducing our food intake even slightly has been found to have health benefits.

Intermittent Fasting & Juicing

I do intermittent fasting easily and for the most part painlessly by simply drinking a glass of fresh juiced fruits and vegetables in place of all my meals for a day. I do this once a week and feel noticeably lighter and more energetic the day I do it, though mildly craving the solid food snacks I like. I also find it a relatively easy way to drop a couple pounds.

Latest Research

Studies of calorie restriction started in the 1930’s and continue. Some of the results have been nothing short of dramatic such as nearly double the life expectancy in rats, spiders, and mice. Not so great life expectancy resulted in studies done on monkeys, but improved health remained. In humans, calorie restriction reduces blood pressure, blood insulin levels, asthma symptoms, and some markers associated with cancer.

The human studies seem to show a significant decrease in inflammation which many doctors now believe to be the root of most illness.

Calorie restriction clearly reduces the risk for some illnesses in humans, but it’s not yet clear if it actually slows the aging process. And there is some indication that there may be some negative effects for women such as sleeplessness, anxiety, and irregular periods. Nor have researchers found the optimal amount of calorie intake to achieve best results.

There are now many people including myself who are impressed by the available research and include intermittent fasting in their regular diet. We’ll see what the long term result are. Join us with these juice recipes that not only provide all the nutrition and energy you need to do anything during the day, but they also reduce food cravings making it much easier to sustain this healthy but at least for me mildly difficult dietary discipline. The important thing to remember – and this helps me greatly – is that the mild discomfort of fasting is immensely outweighed by the health benefits!

Great Recipes

The trick is to drink juice recipes with fruits and vegetables highest in calcium, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds have been proven to stave off food cravings. Brocolli, raspberries, citrus, and leafy greens are the best examples. Plus they provide all of the essential nutrients you need to maintain health and energy throughout a busy day. I even work out strenuously during my intermittent fasting day. One trick I found helpful is to not drink the same juice recipe every time - mix it up! Here are my favorite recipes.